Center City

Broad Street Station with City Hall. Photo from City of Philadelphia, Department of Records

A Look Back at “the Chinese Wall,” an Elevated Viaduct that Once Ran Through Center City

8:00 am on March 17, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the late 1800’s, ten city blocks in Center City were converted into an elevated railroad spur that serviced multiple rail lines, connected to the Broad Street Station just to the west of City Hall, near the current space Dilworth Park. A massive train shed stood behind the station, rising multiple stories tall and prominent from many directions. Designed by the Wilson Brothers, the project was developed by the Pennsylvania Railroad and was completed on December 5, 1881. The centerpiece was a five-story Victorian Gothic headhouse facing City Hall.

One Meridian Plaza (left) in the Philadelphia skyline. Photo via Daily Press

The Tragic Story of One Meridian Plaza

8:00 am on March 16, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

One Meridian Plaza was a 492-foot-tall, 38-story skyscraper that used to stand on the current site of the Residences at Ritz Carlton and the W/Element Hotel at 1416 South Penn Square in Center City, across from City Hall. The building began construction in 1968 and opened in 1972, just after the construction of the 1980’s skyscraper boom. Designed by Vincent and Kling and Associates and developed by Girard Bank and Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance, the tower was extensively damaged by a fatal fire in 1991 and demolished in 1999.

Terrace on 18th Street. Image by Gabe Lui Architectural Renderings

Renovations Underway at The Terrace on 18th Street in Logan Square, Center City

8:00 am on March 14, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Renovation is underway at the 27-story Embassy Suites by Hilton Philadelphia Center City at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Logan Square, Center City. Upon completion, the circular tower that stands at the corner of North 18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be a residential development called The Terrace on 18th Street. The building was originally completed back in 1963 designed by Oskar Stonorov of Korman Co. as an apartment building. In the 1980s it was converted into Embassy Suites, and now Pearl Properties is transforming the building back to a 288-unit apartment structure. Exterior renderings are done by Gabe Lui Architectural Renderings and the interiors are designed by DAS Architecture.

Permits Issued for a Five-Unit Renovation at 1015 Clinton Street in Washington Square West, Center City

7:30 am on March 11, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Permits have been issued for a five-unit renovation of a historic house at 1015 Clinton Street in Washington Square West, Center City. The existing building holds a total of 4,495 square feet, a large amount of space for a single-family dwelling, so a five-unit multi-family conversion is logical. Barry Magarick and Rochelle H/W are the listed owners. Construction costs are estimated at $700,000.

Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion (1101 Chestnut Street) via Jefferson Health

Crane Erected at 1101 Chestnut Street for the Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion in Market East, Center City

8:00 am on March 8, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

A red tower crane has been erected at the Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion at 1101 Chestnut Street, which is part of the two-tower East Market Phase 3 development in Market East, Center City. Designed by Ennead Architects and Stantec and developed by Jefferson Health, the 372-foot-tall, 24-story building will stand on the east side of the block, next to the 329-foot residential high-rise at 1153 Chestnut Street that is planned as the second phase. The 712,000-square-foot tower will feature an attractive wavy glass façade with Jefferson logos at the top of the building.

Mandeville Place rendering. Image via Richard Meier and Partners Architects

Revisiting Mandeville Place, a 607-Foot-Tall High-Rise Once Proposed at 2401 Walnut Street in Center City West

7:30 am on March 8, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Philly YIMBY’s “unbuilt” series continues with Mandeville Place, a slender, 607-foot-tall high-rise proposed at 2401 Walnut Street in Center City West in the mid-2000s. Designed by Richard Meier & Partners Architects and developed by Bedrock Group LLC, the 43-story skyscraper would have joined an existing eight-story building to the south, which would have been converted into hotel space. A shared amenity rooftop was planned between the two structures. The tower would have featured 45 condominium units that would have offered dramatic views of the skyline.

Cathedral Place Phase 1 via Civic Design Review

Excavation Starts at Cathedral Place Phase 1 at 222 North 17th Street in Logan Square, Center City

8:00 am on March 7, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Excavation is underway at the Cathedral Place Phase 1 tower, located at 222 North 17th Street in Logan Square, Center City. The 245-foot-tall, 23-story residential structure will be one of two high-rises that will be built as part of the Cathedral Place redevelopment of the Archdiocesan campus adjacent to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, which was built between 1846 to 1864. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Exeter Property Group, the building will have a sleek design that will be prominently visible from the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art viewpoint, with blue glass standing out among the surrounding masonry and concrete towers. The structure is expected to stat rising this year.

Waldorf Astoria looking northwest. Image via Cope-Linder Architects

Looking at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences Once Proposed at 1441 Chestnut Street in Center City

8:00 am on March 3, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Today’s entry in Philly YIMBY’s ongoing “unbuilt” series is the Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences Philadelphia, proposed at 1441 Chestnut Street in Center City, where the W/Element Hotel is now nearing completion. The 567-foot-tall, 59-story tower would have occupied the south side of the site of the former One Meridian Plaza, a 492-foot-tall office skyscraper damaged by a lethal fire in 1991 and demolished in 1999 (yesterday YIMBY covered a supertall structure proposed earlier at the site). Like the W/Element Hotel, the Waldorf Astoria iteration was also designed by Cope-Linder Architects, though the developers at the time were Mariner Commercial Properties, Inc. and Gatehouse Capital Corporation. The tower would have featured 181 hotel rooms and 126 residences.

Center City Tower rendering with Liberty Place. Image via Kling Lindquist

A Look Back at Center City Tower, Once Planned as the City’s First Supertall Skyscraper

8:00 am on March 2, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the late 1990’s, a massive supertall was planned at the site of the 492-foot-tall One Meridian Plaza, an office skyscraper damaged by a fatal fire in 1991 and demolished in 1999. The proposed Center City Tower at 1414 South Penn Square in Center City would have been built where The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton and the under-construction W/Element Hotel currently stand. Designed by Kling Lindquist, the 1,050-foot tower would have become the first supertall skyscraper in Philadelphia, rather than the Comcast Technology Center, which took the title 20 years later. Notably, Comcast was also considering taking office space at Center City Tower, and the cable company’s decision to pull out of the project and to build Comcast Center at 17th and Arch Street instead was a major reason behind the supertall’s cancellation.

12+Sansom at 123-27 South 12th Street. Rendering credit: Studios Architecture

New Massing for 12 + Sansom at 123 South 12th Street in Market East, Center City

7:30 am on February 26, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In a follow-up to the recent design update to the 12 + Sansom project at 123 South 12th Street, Philadelphia YIMBY shares with its readers exclusive, brand new massing models of the 265-fot-tall, 20-story building’s future presence on the skyline. Designed by Studios Architecture (with Bower Lewis Tower Architects as the architect of record) and developed by Greystar Real Estate Partners, the 412-unit residential building will significantly boost the density in the Market East section of Center City. The tower’s shape and exterior have completely changed since the last iteration.

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